My Experiential Journey Into Expressive Arts Facilitation

My journey into facilitating the expressive arts has been mostly experiential. I was fortunate to learn on the job.

Ten years ago, I had a vision of pushing an “art cart” in a hospital. After a year of running my own community art studio for adults with acquired brain injuries, I had the rare opportunity to work in a well-funded art studio program for Canadian veterans. So indeed, my art cart did materialize! And, my art cart became my beloved travelling companion for nine years! 

On a personal level, I also spend time engaging in expressive activities such as dancing, drawing, collaging, writing, and painting. I love the healing power of the creative process, and I am devoted to creating something new every day.

I created my online business, Expressive Art Workshops, on evenings and weekends while working full-time as an arts facilitator in healthcare.

Support for Expressive Arts Facilitators

I left my government-funded art studio work in 2015 to build my online teaching practice. Upon earning my designation as a REACE, I felt inspired to create a larger community of support for expressive arts facilitators that I can provide. I receive many questions from people asking me how to facilitate the expressive arts, what kind of education is required, and how to work with different populations, among other things.

To provide diverse answers beyond my own experience, I started a Facebook group called “Expressive Arts Facilitation.” The sharing of resources within the group is generous and inspiring. I love witnessing facilitators, artists, teachers, and therapists from all cultures and educational backgrounds respectfully connecting online, sharing ideas in a non-hierarchical manner, and encouraging one another in their facilitation practices. 

What is an Expressive Arts Facilitator?

An expressive arts facilitator designs and initiates spontaneous creative processes for people, and may or may not be trained as a therapist. Expressive Arts Facilitators may be intuitive/expressive artists, counsellors, academics, psychologists, social workers, teachers, nurses, and other helping professionals, such as those in non-profit organizations and volunteers.

The Art is the Therapy

Creating spontaneously encourages honest self-expression that might have been restricted by social judgments in the past. Expressive arts practices generally facilitate a safe, normal and natural emotional release. When we express ourselves honestly in a social setting, it is common to interrupt self-criticism and open up to new and surprising possibilities for emotional healing.

Expressive Arts Facilitators who do not have therapy training tend to focus on providing strength-based, hope-inducing art directives and do not offer therapy. Therapy involves working with a therapy professional to resolve problematic behaviours, beliefs, feelings, relationship issues, and/or somatic responses. 

The expressive arts facilitation aims to provide a space for people to experiment with spontaneous art, poetry, dance, sculpture, music and more. Critiques are never made about the aesthetics or meaning of the art. Participants are invited to express their honest thoughts and emotions related to their creative self-expression in an atmosphere of unconditional acceptance. The facilitator witnesses and encourages the participants in their creative process.

What is an Art Therapist?

Art therapists are professionals trained in both art and therapy. They are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, clinical practice, spiritual, multicultural, and artistic traditions, as well as the healing potential of art. They use art in treatment, assessment, and research, and provide consultations to allied professionals.

Art therapists work with individuals of all ages, including couples, families, groups, and communities. They provide services, both individually and as part of clinical teams, in various settings, including mental health, rehabilitation, medical, and forensic institutions; community outreach programs; wellness centers; schools; nursing homes; corporate structures; open studios; and independent practices—cited from the Art Therapy Blog.

What is an Expressive Arts Therapist?

An Expressive Arts Therapist has similar academic training to that of an Art Therapist. Still, they offer a multimodal approach - often including music, drama, dance, as well as art and writing within a therapy session.

What Should I Call Myself?

I call myself an "expressive art facilitator."

Do not call yourself an art therapist or an expressive art therapist if you have not completed a recognized training program in your country. If you live in the USA, the American Art Therapy Association offers some good guidelines HERE.

Where Can I Ask Questions about Therapy Schools?

If you would like to ask questions about art therapy education, consider joining the Art Therapy Network for Continuing Education on Facebook.

If you would like to ask questions about Expressive Arts Therapy Education, this is a good Facebook group to join: Expressive Arts Therapy.

Do I Need a Designation To Facilitate the Expressive Arts?

No, you do not need a designation to facilitate expressive/intuitive/spontaneous creative processes for people.

However, you can choose to participate in Expressive Arts Facilitation training, and numerous certificate programs are available. And, you can document your unique combination of experience and education, and apply to become a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant and Educator through the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. The guidelines for becoming designated as a REACE are HERE. 

Is it Safe to Facilitate the Expressive Arts Without Therapy Training?

We are all welcome to facilitate spontaneous art processes that invite authentic self-expression. Expressing emotions through authentic art-making is a natural human process.

Spontaneous/intuitive art-making inherently releases stored emotions as we are designed to heal ourselves. Most people are resilient and can handle their own emotional responses to a spontaneous art-making process.

Often, when subconscious thoughts and emotions naturally arise for release through creative expression, no risk management, diagnosis, or referral is needed. The expressive art-making process itself facilitates healing and release.

When unhealed trauma arises within a creative expression group, (which is sometimes a fear for facilitators) a participant can be referred to a therapist who has more tools and training.

How Did You Become an Expressive Arts Facilitator?

I started as an expressive arts facilitator twenty years ago, by creating an expressive art studio program for adults with acquired brain injuries. After that, I worked in Canada's largest therapeutic art studio for adults at the end of life with dementia and/or physical and cognitive challenges for 9 years. I am a counsellor, and I have logged over 11,000 direct client art facilitation hours in the studio. I feel blessed to have worked with hundreds of clients over the years from all walks of life in this creative capacity.

I live in Canada and work full-time as an online counsellor and expressive arts facilitator. I facilitate a wide variety of expressive/spontaneous arts courses online via my website, Expressive Art Workshops. I offer lots of free resources for arts facilitators. 

And, I have also written two guidebooks on Art Facilitation:

Expressive Art Facilitation for Groups and How to Facilitate Art for Older Adults

What is an Expressive Arts Workshop?

In 2014, I was part of a collective of arts facilitators and art therapists that hosted monthly "pop-up" spontaneous creativity workshops in Vancouver, Canada.

We provided spontaneous art-making opportunities for all ages in various community settings. We supplied a wide range of creative materials, including textiles, collage papers, paint, recycled items, and natural objects, to encourage freedom of self-expression.

We encouraged self-expression without requiring a specific end product. Loose guidelines were provided, and spontaneous experimentation was encouraged.

Creating together on individual and collective art projects fostered a warm and inviting atmosphere that encouraged self-expression within the community and among individuals. In contrast to the perception of art as elite and expensive, we provided art opportunities as a natural, expressive outlet for all.